Method of and means for feeding paper sheets



Feb. 21 1933. A. HAUPT ET AL. I 1,398,535

IETHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FEEDING PAPER SHEETS Filed Jan. 50, 1930 #79 nwnhv-s:

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Application filed January, 80, 1100, li'o. 424,647. and in Germany larch 9, 1939. v

Paper sheet feeding devices are already known wherein the 'rear edge of the sheet is lifted from the pile b an auxiliary'sucti'on rod-while the. actual ceding of .the sheet is efiected by means of a suction rod which opv erates at the-front edge of the sheet. There the sheet is lifted by means of a single suction are also devices whereinone rear' corner of nozzle which forms part of a complicated also known. These devices are flat. piles only and have the defect that the sheet separating mechanism. Feedin vices wherein'the sheet separation is e ected atthe rear. end of the pile by mechanical sheet engaging elements aided by an air blast, are applicable to sheet is compelled to travel the whole distance sheets arelifted at from the feeding device to the printing or like machineduring the short time in w ich the printingtakes place. A ra id feeding s, however, generally impractica le since thin sheets are apt tration being in each case liable to suffer. In order to avoid this difliculty it has been proposed to place a fanned-out pile indirect contact with the cylinder register of the machine, but this is not practicable since the sheets are too close toget er to allow the front sheet to be separated and properlyapositioned.

The difliculty is effectively removed by the present invention according to which the the rear edge, carried forwards into contact with the conveying elements, and advanced, during each o ration of the machine, through partonly o the dis-.

tance betweenthe machine and the feeder.

Being thus advancedby degrees, the sheets can be moved sutliciently slowly for maintain a ing them in their proper place and positioned and delivering them to the machine in a satisfactorymanner. Y I

The device whereby the. feeding method may becarried out is also provided with independently of thefeeder so as to retain remaining sheets on the conveying elements if the supply by means of the ee 'er should be interrupted or if it should be necessary to ate; the supply for one reason or another.

ig. 1 o the accompanying drawing repto collapse at the machine register while thick sheets rebound, the regis- .pile

resents a side view of a feeder working with In the arrangement according to Fig. 1,

fanned-out sheets are fed by tapes or bands 1- under a return roller 2 on to a table provided with a register 3. A suction rod provided with a plurality of nozzles 4-; is operated in .knqwn manner and applied to the rear edge of the top sheet, near the register 3','as shown inFi 1.. The rod then moves into the posithe feeder working scale of for stopping. V

tion s own in Fig. 2 and lifts the edge of the I sheet into contact with feedingfclaws 7 thesheet being separated from the pile by a blast of air from nozzles 8. The feeding claws 7 i are connected to a shaft 6which is rocked'by means of levers '5, as shown in Fig. 1 so as to push the front edge of the sheet over a guide plate 11 underrollers 9 which are operated y a rock shaft 10 so as to press the sheet against conveying tapes 17 The pressure of f the claws'against the ed e of the sheet 'pre-- 5 vents the latter from ropping from the claws. The tapes 14 and further conveying tapes 18 are operated by a roller 27 sov as to convey the sheet over the table 29 to the printing or -likemachine- The plate 11 is controlled by arms 12 which are pivoted at 13' and bear by means of rollers 14 against the paper on the return roller 2.

Each sheet is carried by the claws 7 under I the'rear. edge of the next preceding one, and

the sheets will therefore arrive at the printas shown in Fig. 3. The distance from the register 3 'tothe guide roller 14corresponds' to the length of a sheet, and the elements aread'ustable for; working .with sheets'of difierent engths. A. graduated scale may be provided for facili-- tating the adjustment. In thecase of a flat pile as shownin 2, the upper sheets of the pile are position by .90; gmachine as a thin continuous layer of'- overlapping sheets,

registers 15 which are connected to a rock shaft 16 and are turned back into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 each-time a sheet is delivered by the claws 7. The shaft 16 is hollow and adapted to direct the air blast upwards against the delivered sheet so as to facilitate the delivery when the registers 15 take up the position shown dotted in Fig. 4.

The feed of paper to the machine may be interrupted by a stoppage of the conveying elements independently of the feeder. For.

this purpose motion is transmitted to the shaft 27 through the medium of a ear and clutch member 2& arranged rotata bly and slidably on a driving shaft 25. Another clutch member 23, which is firmly secured to the driving shaft, is fitted with studs 31 adapted to engage in apertures in the clutch member 24 which is controlled by a spring 23 and by a double-armed lever 22 provided with an operating handle 30. The lever 22 is put into engagement with a spring-controlled catch 20 for maintaining the clutch members inen gagement in opposition to the spring 23. The catch 20 is operable by means of an electro v magnet for releasing the lever 22 so as to throw the conveying elements out of gear.

The magnet circuit may be closed either by hand through the medium of a switch 19 or, in the case of a paper stoppage automatically through the medium of contact springs 28 placed on the table 29. The electric device may be replaced by a mechanical one.

We claim 1. A method of feeding paper sheets from a pile to a printing machine, consistin in lifting the sheets by suction from the pi e at the rear edge, carrying each sheet forwards horizontally under the preceding sheet into contact with the feeding elements to form a thin system of endless tapes and a deflecting roller, the last set of tapes arranged to move the sheets in opposite direction to that in which they are moved by the claws.

4. The device claimed in claim 2 in combination with a register for positioning the sheets relative to the suction rod.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2 in combination with means for stopping the conveying element independently of the feeder.

ARNO HAUPT.

HEINRICH GUMBEL. JULIUS GIESECKE.

continuous layer of overlapping sheets, ad-

vancing said layer, at each operation of the machine, through part only of the distance between the machine and the feedin device, and adding one sheet to the layer for each sheet taken away therefrom by the printing machine.

2. A device for feeding paper sheets from a pile to a printing machine, comprising a conveying element, asuction rod arranged to engage and raise the edges 'of the sheets farthest away from the machine, reciprocating claws adapted to receive the raised edges of the sheets and to push the latter towards the machine into contact with the conveying elements, means for moving the latter so as to advance the sheets, at each operation of the machine, through part of the distance between the machine and the feeding device,

and means for feeding the sheets in fannedout condition to the suction rod.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for feeding the sheets in fannedout condition to the suction rod, comprises a 

